Harmonica Mic Shootout (What You Need to Know!)

This video will help you choose your first (or next) harmonica microphone. Watch this if you need a harmonica mic!

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[stuffnuns]

The best clean tone mic I’ve used is the Audix Fireball. It has a volume knob like a good harp should have. The Fireball seems impossible to overdrive it. nice bottom on it, too.

[Dan-jlfk]

Shaker original, Bulletini and Shaker Retro Rocket are my stage mics. All are very feedback resistant. Shaker original is very thick and balsy. Bulletini is a bit brighter. The Retro covers all ranges pretty well, depending on cup, and you can use all the hand effects. I use the little imp transformer.

My other dozen plus mics are pretty much parked.

[benbalmer]

I play a Shaker madcat mic, doesn't sound great until I plugged it into a fire eye preamp, now my tone serves legal papers. I like other mics, but that's the only mic that delivers hand dynamics without losing that Amp sound.

[tigergaminggr]

Just today I was thinking about starting to play amplified and I didn't know what mic to use. You're amazing man, keep up the good work

[lynnglidewell]

I played a Green Bullet for many years then decided to try the Boya BY-M1 lavaliere mic run through a small Daneletro Honeytone amp. I got a very enjoyable sound. Put a mic in front of the amp and you have a similar alternative sound that's very nice. However the classic Green Bullet just can't be beat. It's still the go to for me. Yes a little hefty but well worth the effort. The older I get however I may find the Boya becoming more and more friendly as arthritis gets in my hands.

[hesam.harmonica]

thank for review, im using the fireball v for acoustic sound …and bulletini for blues, bulletini is best for small or big size of amps ❤

[bocobocoboco]

I have used dynamic mics in gigs and they sound pretty good although they aren’t easy to hold so I used a mic stand and you are at the mercy of the sound guy to be able to hear yourself through the foldback. i got a hohner HB harmonica mic last year and used it at a gig a few months ago plugged into a fender guitar amp with really good results. it sounded great through the amp but most importantly I could hear myself on stage and could turn the amp up if the band got too loud. The hohner HB is a small bullet mic.

Important point with the Hohner HB is it’s a high impedance signal, equivalent to a passive electric guitar, i.e. it’s a weak electrical signal that is designed to go into a guitar amp. I played harp at a gig a few weeks ago with my HB mic plugged directly to the mixer and it wasn’t good. It’s designed to use with a guitar amp.

if you will be going direct to the mixer, use a dynamic mic.

[Stringbean]

What mics does Neil Young use? He has two little microphone attached to each end of his harmonica neck bracket with little black wind covers. He sings through these as well so he can move about on stage with his acoustic guitar. These are obviously wireless.

[nacoran]

It's not a great mic for most amp/mic combos, but I have a cheap Shure Prologue, basically a SM57 made on the cheap. It's got a power switch and really doesn't have a lot of volume, but my amp has two gain channels and by playing around with their settings I can get enough volume and basically dial in the distortion really easy. I've got a Bullettini, and it's a great mic, but it's so much hotter than the Prologue that the dial adjustments, even with everything turned down, are super small. With a weaker mic I have a wider range on each dial between distortion and feedback.

[lenmcwilliams]

From listening to videos, the best sounding mic I've heard is the Suzuki Dynamic Harmonica Microphone HMH-200. It produces a clean clear amplified sound of the harmonica. I'm in the category you first described: I'll add effects I want on top of a clean sound.

[RiceWithRamen]

I love that gritty bullet mic sound. I'm a slide blues player and I'm just getting into harmonica to get my one man band routine going. I was wondering how to get that sound, so thank you!

[keesvanderlinden]

Tnx Jonah. I got the Sure sm58. It is good, but heavy. Also it is difficult to make a nice cub around the harp and mic together. I like to play clean single notes with no distortion. Gr Kees/ The Netherlands

[jeemalsoknownasjimhawkins]

Jonah: Great video! I look forward to learning more from you when I start taking your private Zoom lessons this week. I have the Shure Green Bullet, but the volume knob makes it sound really scratchy. I look forward to learning as much as I can about all aspects of harmonica playing. Cheers.

[javierf]

Im coming from the guitar, so I'm using my Shure SM58 workhorse plugged to a Fender Hotrod through a Shure A85F that converts the Balanced low latency signal, to an Unbalanced high latency one.
Works perfect, even through my guitar pedals...

[AdamWestUS]

A very well done overview of our microphone options!

[licandres]

Have you tried the Bone Daddy mics? Love how they don't give feedback 😊

[UltimateThief]

For amplified playing I use Jason Ricci lone wolf blues company mic with Harp Train 10 amp (lone wolf blues company too). Sounds amazing 🔥

[FlowerdyPilllow]

Thanks Jonah, great info, very useful. Will be checking out your preference of the Bulletini! New sub right here! Keep up the great work! Cheers from Manchester, England

[franshamersma]

Hi Jonah, thanks for yet another great video on playing the Blues Harmonica, keep it up! I have one question and that is why skip the Hohner Blues Blaster when comparing Harmonica mics? Imho it's one of the best harp mics you can get, may even be close to the Bulletini...

[officialWWM]

I have some kind of Peavy bullet style mic thing. It was cheap and seems to sound ok. Im kinda keen to try some others though.